hiiii ramona tell me about asuncion (2011) by jesse eisenberg a play that i have very much not read or heard about or thought about
phineas i love you so much. ok im gonna try to be succinct im gonna try to be normal about this
asuncion (2011) dir. kip fagan was a play written by jesse eisenberg and starring jesse eisenberg, justin bartha, and camille mana. and i simply cannot tell you WHAT it is about! the thesis of the play is about xenophobia and racism when it comes from educated white leftists who hold themselves and their preconcieved knowledge and ASSUMPTIONS (asunciónes) before like, the real world experiences and lives of people of color. this was an extremely important narrative, and especially because it was written by a white person. white people need to talk about race, but they also need do so without talking out of place. eisenberg does just that by writing about a white experience and attitude that he has personal experience with, never trying to speak or portray a narrative of color like its his own, and refraining from giving the audience a Good White to soothe their guilt. its also extremely important in regards to how self serving and pointless white guilt is, regardless of when or where it is used.
the plot of the play, however, is about the weirdest gay people you have ever seen in your LIFE. vinny is a late white late 20-something working his way through a phd in african studies (you will want to attack him with sticks, yes) and edgar is a nebbishy little 21-22 year old social justice blogger who is simply the worst. you will also want to attack him with sticks. he lives in vinny’s apartment and he does not pay rent so i dont know if i should classify him as his roommate or his housewife. they have a myriad of insanely intimate and like. weirdly charged scenes together ranging from tender wound cleaning to almost blow job. their freaky little dynamic is interrupted when edgar’s brand new filipino sister in law asunción comes to stay with them for an indeterminate amount of time for an unspecified reason. i do not want to spoil this play (though the spoils (2015) is a different gay roommate jesse eisenberg play) so i will not tell you EVERYTHING that happens but dear god it is funny it is entertaining it is compelling. the reason their relationship is so bizarre, i think, is so that when you look for a greater meaning from this play you cannot relate them to ANYTHING because they are so weird so you are forced to acknowledge the commentary on racism and xenophobia.
i think the reason i love this play is because it is not about one thing, and there is so much to think about and analyze and enjoy. it is extremely funny and i have read it so many times, and as both a person of color and a gay subtext reader i relate to it and enjoy it immensely.
here is the link if you would like to read the (obviously free) pdf of the play!
here is the link if you would like to buy it!
here is the trailer for the play itself!
here are highlights from the play!
if you read it you have a free pass to go directly into my dms and talk to me about it i promise i will be elated if you do so
